As you know we’re all for girl power and celebrating badass girls at KA-BOOM, being sort of gender equality warriors and all that.., but HANG ON A MINUTE, here is the thing; not every girl in the world is allowed, or able to express her views, not every girl is able to LIVE FREE from violence, ignorance and discrimination. Not every girl in the world has a fair chance to reach her full potential. Now that is (excuse my language) f***kd up(!), and that is basically what this post is about.

If that is too heavy for you then look away now, go and pour yourself a glass of Prosecco and watch Towie or whatevs, 'cause it’s gonna get heavier.

Listen, the if-I-shut-my-eyes-will-it-go-away-NO-it-won't-TRUTH is :

Some 41,000 girls are forced into illegal child marriage EVERY DAY! That is a violation of human rights that ROBS GIRLS OF THEIR CHILDHOOD. Child brides are forced to drop out of school, have children before they’re ready and are often subjected to a life of violence and abuse. An estimated 70,000 girls DIE IN LABOUR every year because their bodies aren't ready for childbirth.

In some countries daughters are considered a BURDEN, so they might even be given away or MURDERED when they are just infants. Sorry, I told you this was heavy sh**t.

“Every girl, no matter where he is born, should be able to express her views, live free of violence and discrimination, and have a fair chance to reach her full potential”Michelle Bachelet, Executive Director U.N. Women

In 2011 the United Nations (U.N.) declared the 11 October The International Day of The Girl Child, “A day to recognise girls’ rights and the unique challenges girls face around the world”. The selected theme for 2016 is Girls’ Progress = Goals’ Progress: What Counts for Girlsand this year’s focus as such is (in addition to help girls have a safe, educated and healthy life) filling existing data gaps, to get a truer picture of how disadvantaged half of humanity really is. Because basically it is easier to ignore a problem when there isn’t much evidence of how omnipresent it is or how deeply it affects people, and of course because in modern society we can’t improve or raise funds for what we can’t prove or measure…

“When we invest in girls’ health, safety, education and rights – in times of peace and crisis – we empower them to reach for their dreams and build better lives for themselves and their communities. “ United Nations

International Day of the Girl is an opportunity to reflect on how much, or little, progress girls have made and how far there still is to go before equality is achieved globally. I am afraid there is still some way to go, but we should not let that stop us.Education and activism are denied many girls throughout the world, so let’s shout it from the rooftops for those who can’t and pledge your support to create a world that is better for the girls of tomorrow! GRL PWR! Girls rock! etc... Because, as Unicef puts it "When girls do better, we all do better". So, get it out there! Share! Donate! Roar! Educate! #kidswhomakenoise #kaboomkidsmakenoise

Thanks for reading,

Sara.

60% of any full price purchases you make at KA-BOOM this week will be donated to the charity Plan UK’s Girls Fund, that’s a PROMISE.

Eeek! Chrizzle is getting rizzle guys! (Christmas is getting real and is just around the corner). But do not fear, there's still time to fulfil your fantasy of creating fun, handmade decorations with pinteresting, instagrammable touches.

2 | Plan and start filling. Decide which days you may want to make extra special. Try to mix it up a bit... and get filling the bags!

3 | Lay everything out. We found it easier to lay everything out on the floor, so that we could visualise the arrangement.

4 | Wrap and fold. The bags that were used were actually quite big, which was cool for the bigger ones, but meant a bit of folding action for the smaller objects.

5 | String together. Lay the bags out on the floor, or hang the ribbon between chairs to get your configuration sorted, tying foliage with knots and using the mini pegs to hang the bags.

6 | Hang and admire! Hang it on a wall, fireplace or banister. How you hang it will obviously depend on how how much wall space you have. Hang from one end of the room to the other, or make a Christmas Tree shape if you're feeling clever?

We went with rows and the little one seems happy with that. ☺

7 | Done. Now onto the next project. Check out our 'Kiddo's Xmas' Pinterest board for more ideas of how to make your kiddo's Christmas super fun and magical!

This weekend sees the return of the amazing Walthamstow Garden Party and we can't wait!! With two days jam packed with music, art, theatre, food and more, there will be truck loads to discover, but with so much on offer it might be tricky to pick out what to do to keep the kids, as well as your own good self, entertained and happy? Which is why we bring you...

Yup, it’s our kids starter guide to help you get your Garden Party weekend off to a good start. Fingers crossed for great weather!

1 | Little Universe | A playful outdoor theatre performance by Fevered Sleep that promises to encourage young children to consider some big ideas, the entire universe in fact! The Little Universe performance shows how planets and particles in the universe move with, around and because of each other, through the medium of dance and music. It might just be the perfect introduction to the universe, for future little scientists, or dancers? | 3-7 + family | Touring around the festivalsee website for details |

2 | Barbican Pop-Up Cinema : Beautiful Animation | Desperate to move beyond Frozen? Need movie or film inspiration? Why not try and introduce you kids to the best in international cinema, in bite-sized chunks of course! Each programme running time: 30 mins | All Ages | Winns Gallery |

3 | Festival T-shirt printing |Children can screen-print their very own festival t-shirt again this year with lovely, local company Little Mashers. The special chalkboard ink used can then be customised with chalk writing or drawing, wiped out and drawn on again and again. | 3+ | Useful and Beautiful Craft Marquee & Trail |

4 | Fish Dogs |We’re pretty sure that your children will love most of the amazing food on offer at the Garden Party and there is so much to choose from. But a good choice for fussy eaters might be a “Fish Dog”. These are the 'Rollls Royce' of the fish finger sandwich world and contains local fish from sustainable sources. It is fried to a crispy perfection, married with minted mushy peas and tartare sauce. Yum! | All Ages | Street Food Festival |

5 | Suntrap |We think that most kids will be dying to get their hands on some creepy crawlies! The Suntrap Education Centre (normally based in Epping Forest) encourages children to explore the natural world and they will be bringing a selection of 'friends' for kids to check out in the Mini Garden area. | Saturday & Sunday | All Ages | Mini Garden / Lloyd Park Centre |

6 | KA-BOOM Market Stall | We will obviously be joining the party and we're bringing lots of cool stuff for little people! We’ve got awesomenew kidswear and your little ones will be able to get themselves a fabulous teeny nailjob and a funky temporary tattoo (both non-toxic of course) at our stall too! Come and say hello! | All ages | Kidswear 0-7 years | Mini Garden / Lloyd Park Centre |

7 | Drum Works | Your kids are sure to be inspired by the music at the festival, and might very well be geared up to have a go themselves! Social music project Drum Works will be running free workshops in the Mini Garden and their members will be performing across the weekend at various locations around the park. Don’t miss the spectacular 100+ strong performance on Saturday afternoon! | All Ages | Drum Works Tent + Mini Garden (3.15pm Sat/Sun) Lloyd Park Centre |

8 | Kids Yoga |After all that action your kids may need a bit of chill out time? East of Eden is a new, local Yoga and Pilates studio that will be running the wellness area at the Garden Party, offering half hour taster sessions of vinyasa flow yoga, Pilates, mum and baby Pilates and kids yoga. | All Ages | Artillery Island |

That's just for starters, there will be plenty more to do, see, hear, discover and taste for you and your family! Find out more at the Walthamstow Garden Party 2015 website, where you can sign up for a free guide.

Get in touch with us via Twitter or Facebook or feel free to comment below with suggestions, comments and feedback!

We're intent on making the most of the current balmy days and as always we are keeping it cool, plus this time there's an added bonus of eco-awareness thrown in! We're well happy to be sharing this DIY tutorial, originally written for Eclectic Eccentricity, by the multi-talented Becky Hoh-Hale. Check it out: a Recycled Bottle Water Wall!

Our take on it is obviously kid orientated, but who doesn’t like mixing good, honest recycling and messing around with water when it’s pretty much desert weather out there?

You will need:

Plastic bottles (milk and large drinks packaging are all good options)

Scissors

Hammer

Nails

Plus you might need a wooden/MDF board to use as a mount, unless you want create it on a fence or big tree, depending on what you've got in your garden (and whether you own or rent..)

STEP 1 | Layout and prep

Think about how you want to lay them out and cut off the side (which will actually be the 'top') enough to let the water in and to maneuvoure hammering the nails in, but try and keep as much of the bottles structure as you can.

STEP 2 | Hammer time!

You'll need two or three nails in to keep each bottle in place. You can drill them if easier, but in our case a hammer and a four year old trying to help was plenty enough for increased anxiety levels!

STEP 3 | Improvise

You can for example use one of the bottle cut offs to make a flat end surface to distribute the water more evenly as it comes out.

STEP 4 | Test it out!

Pour water in using a jug or another bottle! Does it work ok? Does it need some minor adjustments to make the water flow from bottle to bottle?

STEP 5 | Evaluate

Impressed? You can leave it at that for the kids, watching the water do it's thing can keep 'em amused for hours (minutes), but we decided to take it up a gear... which leads us to...

STEP 6 | Hose action!

Stick the hose in the top bottle. We also decided to raise the panel higher. What do we do now?

STEP 7 | Get your swimgear on!

Or maybe your birthday suit will suffice..? But don't forget the sunscreen!

STEP 5 | Get splashing!

Use it as a shower to cool off and collect the water in a bowl - then you can use it as a foot bath or a mini paddling pool too!

STEP 6, 7, 8, 9, 10.. | Enjoy it!

It doesn't end there though, there are plenty more possibilities... You could experiment using coloured water and channel it into different tracks? You could place the bottles higher up, or one bottle high up and use it as an outdoor shower or cooling station for adults too? What other uses could it have? How would you improve it?

Thanks for sharing this awesome idea with us Becky!

It's a definite winner, try it out guys!

What do you reckon? Will you try it? We would love to hear what you think. Comment below or you can email, post on Twitter or Facebook.

Yiipee, it's a heatwave! The world looks a much brighter place when the sun is shining. Why not get out there and enjoy it? We have pulled together a few tips to make sure your kids get the most out of the summer by staying cool & safe in the sun.

TIP 1 | Use a sunscreen with a protection level of at least SPF15 and 4 stars. Use it generously and reapply regularly, particularly after swimming. If you have a protest on your hands, why not lead by example and apply it on yourself first?

Organic Sun Lotion | A non-greasy, scent free and natural sun lotion for children, or anyone with sensitive skin, in SPF 25. Ideal for skin suffering from prickly heat, our sun lotion of choice is water resistant but doesn't clog pores. It protects against UVA and UVB using natural ingredients; aloe vera, beeswax and edelweiss. | Available at KA-BOOM |

TIP 2 | It is a good idea to spend time in the shade between 11am and 3pm. Maybe take a leaf out of the people of the Mediterranean's book and treat yourself to a long lunch or siesta?

Shade for the family |If you are heading to the park or the beach this is a clever set-up that will ensure there is always shade available. Relax under a cool canopy of natural shade that offers superior sun protection. This cool "Sombrilla" made from 100% cotton hails from Australia, but you could try making your own version using a tightly woven fabric...| Pinned from hollieandharrie.com.au |

TIP 3 |Cover up! Although Vitamin D is essential and a tan is desirable, we all know by now that UVA and UVB rays are harmful, so do cover up with a t-shirt, hat and sunglasses. For extra piece of mind search out clothes with UPF rating of at least 30.

Sunnies! |The best way to ensure a child's eyes are protected is to make sure the sunnies stay on. Your child will look like a mini rockstar wearing lightweight sunglasses like these. These ones by Squids have a flexible frame to firmly wrap around little faces to keep eyes well protected. Designed for children aged 3-10 they provide 100% UV protection and are ideal for the pool or beach. | Pinned from adventuretogs.co.uk |

Funky UV Sunsuit | Let your kids run wild in a UV sun suit, which is as good for playing in the water as out of it. This unisex two-piece suit by Indikidual offers UPF protection of 50+ so you just need to apply sunscreen where the body is exposed. The fabric is breathable and dries quickly. | Pinned from indikidual |

Pop on a tee | If in doubt pop a cool t-shirt on your child to keep them covered. This totally tropical version will have your child feeling in the holiday mood even if you have only made it as far as the local park! This one from the Runaway Design Collective features original artwork by designer and illustrator Kalman Lee. | Available at KA-BOOM|

TIP 4 | Stay hydrated! Remember to make all the family drinking plenty of water on hot days, as our bodies lose water faster than it normally does!

TIP 5 | Enjoy and cherish the sunshine! While it is important to stay cool and safe it is also important to be able to relax and enjoy the summer sun.

Sunshine on a towel | This may not protect you from the sun but it will keep the sand away. It will also remind you to keep a smile on your face if the great British Summertime turns into a bit of a washout, just as you get to the beach!| Pinned from nuuba.com|

So get out there and enjoy yourself with your children knowing that they will be happy, safe and looking good! We have more ideas on our Pinterest board and of course we would love to hear your suggestions. Comment below or you can email, post on Twitter or Facebook.

Disclaimer: We are not affiliated with the brands that we do not stock, they are simply fab products that we like and think you'll enjoy too! The products that we do stock are listed in this post as 'Available at KA-BOOM'.

Yay! It looks like summer is finally here! Finally time for some outdoor fun! And what's more fun than B-U-B-B-L-E-S ? Kids just love watching, blowing, chasing and popping bubbles!

There are plenty of plastic fantastic bubble gadgets on the market, but why not try some tried and tested home made versionsfor equally cool results!? Here's a rundown of some of the bubbletastic ideas we've been collecting over on Pinterest...

Rainbow Bubbles | Fill up a paddling pool with water, add soap and watercolour paint. Let the kids mix it up and you will have a pool full of colourful bubbles. You can also get kids to 'paint the bubbles' by putting watercolour paint into spray bottles. | Pinned from giftofcuriosity.com |

Homemade Bubble Blowers | Choose a selection of straws, cut them so that they are all the same length. Use sticky tape to hold them together at the top and the bottom and dip one end into the bubble mix. Blow from the undipped end. Loads of bubbles of different sizes will be blown out at the same time. | Pinned from theboyandme.co.uk |

Giant Bubbles |Make up a bubble solution the night before then pour into a paddling pool. When you are ready to begin the fun get a child to stand in the middle of the pool, with a hula hoop already in the solution. Quickly lift the hoop over the child and they will be encased in a giant bubble.| Pinned from onecharmingparty.com |

Yet another reason to love Waltham Forest! Since 2005 the E17 Art Trail has showcased artworks by the fantastically creative and inspiring artists in Walthamstow, of all ages, both professional and amateur.

With 250 exhibitions and events happening over the next couple of weeks, we know it might be tricky to narrow down which ones to visit, especially if you have kids running rings around you.

Well, look no further; below are our eight top picks for kids and the young at heart!

Click the title links for times & more information about each event

1 | A Model Story | This front garden exhibition tells the story of one family's participation in the E17 Art Trail over the last couple of years, leading up to the construction of a model village, which is on display in the family's own front garden. | All ages | 121 Billet Road | 30 May - 14 June |

3 | Orange Monkey Puppets – Alice Stanley presents:|Alice presents her own handmade range of puppets, alongside textile pictures, as well as a bigger collection of puppets, mostly from Little Angel Theatre. There will also be regular, captivating puppet shows.| All ages | Lotolie38 Orford Road | 13th June |

4 | Workshop Favourite Words - Print your alter ego | These workshops give you the chance to create your very own wild and wacky characters based on a favourite selected word. You will learn the basics of screenprinting and collage.| All ages | Flat 3, St James Apartments 1 Pretoria Avenue | 13th & 14th June (workshops need to be booked & have a charge |

5 | 56 Fruit Shack Installation | Make sure you are getting your five a day and help to fill this cafe with fruit shacks! This is a paper based interactive installation suitable for all ages to get involved with. | All ages | 56 St James Street | 13th-14th June |

6 | Storytelling Scarecrows | The Storytelling Scarecrows have been made using, mostly, found materials such as empty oil drums and old estate agents' boards. Meet them and learn all about growing your own food too. | All ages | Greenway Avenue Community Garden | 6th-7th June & 13th-14th June |

7 | Walthamstow Bunny | Hop along and meet the the Art Trail’s first long-eared artist, the Walthamstow Bunny. Learn to draw it, make a cut-out and write a story.Free activity packs plus the chance to win a fabulous Walthamstow Bunny goody bag for the best story. | All ages | Vestry House Museum | 6th-7th June & 13th-14th June |

8 | Where in Wally? | A treasure hunt with a difference. Suggest your special place, tell them what makes it important to you and take part in the creation of an online map. The first 100 treasure hunters will win a limited edition map| All ages | All over Walthamstow, see website for details | 6th-13th June |

We won't be able to catch them all, but we'll give it a good go! Let us know which events you manage to catch and how you enjoyed them?!

P.S. Still crave more art? E-mail hello@ka-boomshop.co.uk and we'd be happy to share our full printer friendly shortlist of 18 kidtastic events with you.

We are the biggest fans of the Hybrid Harems by Om Baby. We think they are simply the perfect, unisex summer garment for babies and toddlers. Not only do they look great, they also happen to be handmade locally, by mums no less, in Walthamstow!

Alice Aitken is the founder 'mummy' of Om Baby. With a background in print design and trend forecasting she was inspired to start the brand last year, after travelling to India with a baby bump and spotting a gap in the market for attractive babywear that can accommodate a big, cloth nappy bum!

Om Baby's signature yoga harem pants are designed for comfort as well as style, giving babies plenty of 'wriggle room' while making them stand out from the crowd.

Alice loves textiles and uses her trained eye to select her fabrics. She works with beautiful, block printed Kadhi fabric and lightweight meditation scarf textiles from India, as well as fab African wax printed cotton, all in an up-to-date array of print, colour and pattern.

Om Baby's concept links together Alice's three big loves; her daughter (who serves as in-house model, muse and inspiration), textiles and her love of India. She dreams of getting her own textile designs woodblock printed in India and to expand the range.

We personally love the idea of babies and toddlers across the globe leg-kicking and stretching into all kinds of poses, dressed in these fantastic pants and will continue supporting Alice in making that dream become a reality!

Every purchase, every comment, every like, follow, re-tweet and tag means so much and we are incredibly grateful for your custom and encouragement during our first few months of business. The best compliment you can give us is a referral, so if you like what we're doing please keep sharing in 2015!